Surely, we’ve been pleased by the recent set of devices sporting Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box, like HTC’s One smartphones, but with the LG Viper, we revert back to agonize over the Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread experience. As much as we’re bummed by it all, it’s mentioned to get in with ICS thanks to a future software upgrade – albeit, no exact date has been determined as of right now. Similar to most of Sprint’s devices, the Viper appears to be a mostly vanilla experience, but it offers Sprint’s ID packs to further personalize its look and fee.

The LG Viper comes with Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread

For its screen size and all, we’re mostly content with the layout we’re given with its on-screen keyboards. However, due to its tiny sized buttons, we’re a bit cautious of what we press. Of course, we’re able to casually type away thanks to its responsiveness, but those small buttons hinder us from increasing our rate of input.

On-screen keyboards

Right on the dot, the email experience is predictable like all Android smartphones in general. It might not be blessed with a massive display, which would reduce the amount of scrolling, but at least the core features and functionality are intact. Moreover, setup is a simple 1-2-3 process of providing our email address and password.

Email

When compared to other Android devices, there isn’t as much bloatware found preloaded with the LG Viper – but still, we find a few. Obviously, Sprint’s presence is in full force with apps like Sprint Nascar, Sprint Music Plus, Sprint NBA Mobile, Sprint TV & Movies, and SprintZone. As for the rest, they include SmartShare and TeleNav GPS Navigator.

Processor and Memory:

At first thought, especially for an eco-friendly smartphone, one wouldn’t expect something powerful running the show. Yet, it’s humming away thanks to a dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 processor with 1GB of RAM. Thankfully, it doesn’t sweat much with various tasks or operations, as it’s able to maintain a high level of responsiveness. Therefore, whether its navigating across the homescreen with a graphically intensive live wallpaper or opening apps, it does everything with minimal instances of delay. Normally, we wouldn’t see something so comprehensive on a green-friendly device, so we’re a bit taken by surprise. Below, you can see the results of its benchmark tests.

Quadrant Standard

AnTuTu

NenaMark 2

LG Viper 4G LTE

3002

5528

55,9

Samsung Galaxy S II

3113

6076

51

HTC One S

4867

7012

60,7

Samsung Galaxy Nexus

2000

5503

24

There’s no kidding we’re glad to see a powerful CPU on board with the Viper, but we’re saddened to find it boasting only 3.63GB of free storage out of the box – with another 1.5GB reserved for apps. Then again, it can be supplemented thanks to its microSD slot.

Internet and Connectivity:

So here’s the deal. The LG Viper 4G LTE has the notoriety of being one of the first devices on Sprint’s lineup to offer LTE speeds, but sadly enough, the network has yet to launch commercially. Meaning, it’s stuck right now surfing the web at good old 3G speeds. Making matters worse, we’re extremely disappointed by its performance in perusing complex sites like ours. Specifically, it’s marred by some noticeable evidence of choppiness, however, we’re consoled a little bit because it doesn’t come to a crawl when dealing with heavy Flash content. Knowing what’s running under the hood, we were expecting more from it – like a better overall response.

Surfing the web with the LG Viper 4G LTE

As we’ve clearly detailed, this mid-range device will have access to Sprint’s up and coming LTE network, but in the meantime, it’s going to be good old 3G speeds for now. In terms of other connectivity options, it consists of aGPS, Bluetooth 3.0, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, mobile hotspot functionality, and NFC.

When I brought my Galaxy on Sunday afternoon, the Sprint rep told me that they hadn't sold at all up to that point of the day. Why would LG launch this with 2.3 and not ICS? I would be this thing will never see ICS.

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